Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Dr. Seuss's AACs

Did you know there are somefor whom speaking is tough?Who use signing, and pictures,and pointing, and stuff?

But those methods can lack;They can frustrate all!(And leave us each feelingquite helpless and small.)

But there are cool new waysfor a voice to be heard,and to be understood,without saying a word!

These high-tech-y toolsare expensive and rare...but each time I check,a brand new one is there!

They're newer than new, and they sparkle and shine,with computering partsthat are finer than fine!

Oh, the wonderful things these devices can do!They can scroll straight to "cow"! They can help you say "Moo!"They can show you a "bowl" or a "sister" or "bus;"they can help you say "Help!" with such minimal fuss!

Take oodles of photos!Build word lists galore!Use the voice of your choice,speak in school -- or the store!

Give your puppy a name!Select lunch on your own;ask for milk, juice, or pop!Even talk on the phone!

Give your teachers a wayto test how much you know!Tell your dad thatyour shoe is too tight on your toe!

Request movies by name!Then, just for a lark,tell your mom that you wantto eat cheese in the park!

Yes, the world is your oyster,and you are it's pearl;Communication's the KEYfor each boy and each girl!

It's exciting and fresh --talking fun that is fun!But there IS a small catch:You can only have ONE!

The selection is vast;the technology new.Take a carefullish look;Find the one right for YOU!

Do you need overlays?Would a camera be nice?Do you like Unity?Or would Minspeak suffice?

Are we shooting towards goalsof literacy?Is it helpful to havejust a small qwerty key?

And how many screens --sixty-fouror just three?

What? What's that? What's that that you say?You say 64 is the magical way?Sixty-four will display all the things you might say?

(Are you sure that's notfar too much stuff in the way??)

Or maybe it is?You really don't know?

How do we decidewhich direction to go?

There are all shapes and sizes,and colors galore!But we can't try them all,and they keep making more!

Should one organize wordsby theme or by list?Have a visual base,or conceptual twist?

And how does it feel?Does it fit in your hand?Do you have to sit down?Will it work when you stand?

Can you use it in rain?See the screen in the sun?Can you lock the controls?Charge it up on the run?

Is it easy to clean?Will it fit in your bag?Is there user supportwithout having to nag?

Is it heavy to hold?Are there cords in the way?Can it actually sayall you hope, dream, and pray?

Does it need USBs?Or expansioning packs?Is it easy to learn,yet has challenging tracks?

Is the camera built-in?Are there symbols or pix?Can it play any games?Does it do any tricks?

Will it speak Japanese?Can it surf on the web?If I buy the upgrade,will it dootle or fleb?

Can it dance the fandangoor do the Watusi?Does it have shoulder straps,or clip to one's caboose-y?

Is it bluetooth compat?Does it lay golden eggs?Can it walk by itselfon its wee robot legs?

Is it unbreakable?Does it use rocket fuel?Can it fly on its ownto and from my son's school?

Does it come with its very own echo-locator?(And if lost, will it come right back --sooner than later?)All this pick-y and choose-yand question-y stuffmakes my head feel all woozy!ENOUGH is ENOUGH!!

So which choice is best?Which one passes each test?Which rises above all the lowlier rest?From near and from far,North, South, East, or West,which one is theperfectest,bestliest,BEST?

How I dread, dread, dread, DREADsorting through in my head...Can't anyone out there

Came here from Kate's blog. Had to see the poem in its original context. **That** was truly awesome! We're trying to wrap our brains around what might work for my 5 yr old, Nik. We're just beginning...ugh.

About My Son

Max has microcephaly. He is currently 8 years old and attends 2nd Grade in a Functional Skills classroom in the public school system. He is non-verbal and does some signing. He has mild SID, apraxia, chronic sleep issues, developmental and cognitive delays, AND is an extremely active, healthy, social, curious, loving, happy little boy. In other words, he's practically a genius.